


Project Mr Right

by Nugskw



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, M/M, Sex, Slow Burn, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-01 13:41:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nugskw/pseuds/Nugskw
Summary: All of Timmy's friends are settling down and he is alone. He decides that he is going to take charge and find Mr Right anyway he can. Can he see what is right under his nose or is will he ruin it because he thinks he knows better?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Meant to write my other fic but this came out instead.

Tim was waiting for the phone call before he could run out of the office, he would be late again. He knew once he got there it would be a great night but life would be much easier if he could stay and catch up on the pile of work that was gradually taking over his desk. When Will had called him a couple of weeks ago letting him know about the date for drinks he was excited, it had been far too long since the group of boys had been together. It had also been a while since he had spent time with his best friend. They had grown up three houses away from each other and were pretty much joined at the hip from Kindergarten.

When his cell rang yesterday he knew who it was before he even looked at the call display and accepted the call laughing.

“Of course I’m coming,” Tim said while continuing to laugh. Will knew him well and that his usual strategy was to ditch the evening before with a text blaming work.

“Come on Timmy. It’s me your talking to. I was surprised I didn’t get the text message already!” Both of them were smiling as they knew he was right.

“OK, OK I promise I will be there. I’ve got a meeting at 6.30pm so I will make my way afterwards. No text this time definitely.”

“Good. We don’t get to meet up that often and I’ve missed you my friend. Before you ask again we are meeting at 8 at O'Connor's. Try and make it before closing time!”

They all used to meet up a lot more often but as they had grown life got in the way. One by one the boys had settled down with some of them even starting a family. At 24 how had he managed to be left behind? The phone on his desk rang into life and he switched his focus back to work. Saying his goodbyes to the client he put the phone back on the receiver, grabbed his jacket and bag, and made for the door. If he managed to grab a cab outside he would only be an hour or so late and what was that between friends.

He arrived at the bar and made his way through the crowd looking for his friends, spotting them sitting at the usual table at the back. He was greeted by a cheer and took his usual seat offering apologies for his late arrival. Conversation flowed between them all and they caught Timmy up on what he had missed.

After a couple more drinks Will tapped on the table to get everyone’s attention and declared he had an announcement. “Now we are all finally here it’s time for the big bit of news. Poor Timmy is going to need some support over the next couple of months due to the situation he now finds himself in!” The boys turn to him in surprise waiting for the revelation. No one looked more confused than Tim who had no idea what his best friend was talking about. The panic must have shown on his face as he ran through the conversations he had with Will recently to see what he could be referring to but drew a blank. Will didn’t leave them hanging for much longer and said “I proposed to Jane over the weekend and she said yes! That leaves Timmy as the last one left! Better hurry up and find Mr Right my friend.” Timmy leapt from his seat and hugged Will while congratulations were offered by the group. He was so happy for him, Jane was a perfect match for him and he could see how much they adored each other. Timmy dismissed the jokes made at his expense and laughed that he was now left on the shelf. Another round was bought and they toasted the happy couple.

Will moved seats to be next to his best friend. “I’m sorry for ragging on you,” he said.

“ I know you don’t mean it.” said Tim “ I’ll forgive you this time. Seriously though I am so happy for you. Kind of took a long time for you to pop the question though seeing as your not likely to find anyone else!”

Will’s smile was infectious as he looked at his best friend. “She makes me happy Tim, I can’t imagine my life without her. Between the pressure from my mum and her mum to seal the deal, I couldn’t wait much longer.”

They both laughed knowing how many hints Will's mum had dropped at her birthday barbeque last month about needing to have grandchildren before she got too old.

“You know my mum is going to start on you about settling down now don’t you,” Will said.

She was his like his second mum as they grew up. It was difficult to separate the boys growing up, where there was one the other would be close behind like their shadow. It was strange how so many events in their happened so close to each other, from losing their front teeth, going on their first date and landing their dream jobs. This would be the biggest life-changing moment that wouldn’t be shared which made Timmy a little sad. He might be able to avoid Will’s mum for a while but his own was a different matter and he could already hear why she was going to say about this good news.

The last couple of years he had focussed on his career, it wasn’t a conscious decision not to find Mr Right it just sort of didn't happen. He had set himself clear goals after he left college. Tim wanted to be financially stable and chased promotion after promotion at work, he just assumed that in-between achieving his goals he would meet the man of his dreams and have the fairy tale life together. There had been a couple of dates over the last few years but nothing that made him want date number two. He had a serious boyfriend in his freshman year of college so it wasn’t that he open to a long term commitment. Matt had introduced himself at a Halloween party and Timmy was smitten. His beautiful blue eyes, genuine smile and a sarcastic sense of humour had been what Timmy was attracted to initially. They were inseparable for most of the next year and he was devastated when Will had sat him down to tell him that they had seen him holding hands and then kissing a guy from the track team. Since then no one had set the butterflies off in his stomach. Timmy wanted soul-changing, heart pumping, life-altering real love.

It was the big family lunch on Sunday which he was now dreading. There would be no hiding this good news as the grapevine or Will's mum would have called his mum straight away. He was pleased for his best friend but was not pleased about the attention it would bring to him. It would be best to drop a message to his sister message so she could help him fend off mums questions.

As the evening progressed the boys left one by one agreeing not to leave it so long next time. Tim and Will were left nursing their beer with Tim opening his heart to his best friend. One of the strengths of their friendship was how honest they were with each other. Tim could tell him things he shared with no one else.

“I must admit I am a bit jealous. I feel like everyone is moving on to the next stage of their lives and I’m stuck. Work is great but it feels like that is all I have.”

“Don’t beat your self up Tim. It's not a race down the aisle.”

“It’s not about getting a ring on my finger.” He sighed, “I feel like I’m not living the life I thought I was going to. If I’m being honest Will, I am lonely. I get comments from people asking why I don’t have a boyfriend and I’ve got good at saying I’m happy on my own.” Tim knew that the alcohol has loosened his tongue and allowed him to admit things out loud he wouldn't usually say.

Will smiles at his friend and laughs “ You think I didn’t know that. You may be a good actor Tim but I know you better than you know yourself. If you're not happy with being alone then do something about it.”

“There is no way I am doing speed dating or setting up an internet profile!”

“That’s not the only way to meet people Tim. It will mean you have to spend time in places other than your office. He is out there you just have to find him.”

He knew Will was right. If he was unhappy with what he had it wasn’t going to change unless he did something about it. They finished their drinks and said their goodbyes. In the cab going home he ran through his conversation with Will. He promised himself that he was going to do it, he was going to find his Mr Right. He was going to tackle this the same way he did his career. The target was clear and all he needed was his timeline. His mind was made up, by the time of Will’s wedding he would be bringing the man of his dreams as his plus one.

Tim felt brighter when he woke the next morning despite the hangover. The plan had been made and even if he had no idea how he was going to find him it made him feel more positive. Knowing nothing about the dating scene he decided to fall back on his skills. He would complete some preliminary research looking for the most successful way to find a man then implement the strategy. He didn’t know why he hadn’t done this before, this would be easy.

After arriving at work he called in his assistant Stacey and went through the outstanding items and meetings that had been scheduled for that day. He wanted to get through work as soon as possible as project Mr Right would begin as soon as he got home. His mind started to wander and he lost all concentration.

“Tim, ….Tim, …….Earth to Mr Chalamet!” The increasing volume snapped him back to the room.

“Sorry Stacey, I’m not sure where I went,” he said while trying to hide a smile.

“What is going on? Your hiding something! I can see that cheeky smile Tim!”

“I’m not hiding anything!” Tim knew he wouldn’t get away with not telling her. Stacey laughed at him as they both knew the game was up.

“OK, OK, It’s not as exciting as you think. I met with Will and the boys last night for a beer which turned into a bit of a celebration as he told us he had just proposed to his girlfriend. I’m happy for him and they make a perfect couple. It just got me thinking ………………… I’m last one out of the group who isn’t married or engaged. I always assumed I’d meet the right person and settle down, that it would just happen.”

“It will happen for you Tim. Sometimes you have to be a bit more patient. I never thought I would find someone then I literally bumped into Pete in the grocery store and three years later we got married. I believe in destiny, you’ll find him when you are least expecting it. But what is the smile for? If you found him already that was bloody quick!”

“Nope not found him yet! I’ve decided I can’t wait for destiny to sort itself out, I am going to find Mr Right and I’m going to find him now. You know what I am like when I have made my mind up. I can't wait to find him.”

“God help the men out there as Timothee Chalamet is on the prowl!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan starts to come together but Tim has no idea. If he doesn't know what he wants then how is he going to find him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't where I had planned to go with this chapter. Enjoy!

Stacey convinced him to go out for lunch so they can discuss strategy.

“My friend works in a bar a couple of blocks over. It’s only just opened and the food is amazing. We can talk through your plans.”

“I’ve got far too much to get done before that new client meeting next week.”

“Don’t argue with me, Tim!” Stacey walks over to Tim, pulls back his chair and passes him his jacket. He knew better than try to argue with her.

There weren’t any free tables but they managed to grab two stools at the end of the bar. Picking up the menu he was expecting it to be the usual burger and fries but was surprised to see it was Italian and not just basic pizza and pasta. His mouth waters as he reads the options and it would be a struggle to pick what to have.

“Stacey! I’m so glad you took me up on my invitation!”

Tim and Stacey turn around to a tall blonde man standing behind them with a large smile on his face. Not able to contain herself Stacey jumps up to hug him.

“Armie! How could I resist your invitation, you know I love your cooking. Let me introduce you – Armie this is my wonderful boss Tim. Tim this is the best chef on the planet Armie.”

“Nice to meet you.” Said Tim shaking his hand. His eyes flick up and he takes in Armie properly for the first time. It’s the eyes that hold him to start, they are blue like a cloudless sky on a sunny day. He is immediately brought back to his ex and remembers the hurt. His body unconsciously shudders at the memory.

“It’s really busy! Doesn’t take long for the word to get around about how good your cooking is,” said Stacey.

Armie blushes and looks down at his feet, clearly unable to take any compliments.

“Let me know when you have decided what you would like. I can recommend the linguine with garlic butter prawns, that’s today's special. I’ve got a beautiful Pinto Grigio that will be perfect with it.”

They nod in agreement, their mouths already watering in anticipation.

“Let’s get down to business. What are you looking for in Mr Right?”

“Around my age, has a good job so he is financially secure. Organised? A sense of humour?” Clearly, he doesn’t really know how to express what he wants.

“Wow Tim, really interesting list of requirements. Are you sure you're looking for a relationship or a business partner?”

“What am I supposed to say? It’s really hard to explain.”

“Unless you know what you want you’re never going to be able to find him.” Stacey looked at him and smiled. Armie interrupts them and places their glasses in front of them and pours the wine. What Tim needs is an example of what other people could look for so he could get some ideas. She looks up at Armie and thinks it might be better coming from someone other than her.

“Armie, If I was to ask you what you were looking for in a Miss Right what would you say?”

“To start with it would be a Mr Right.” Tim smiles at this revelation, although he’s not sure why it should matter. “I’d want someone who is passionate, caring, creative. He would have to be close to his family. Confident in himself and willing to show emotion. Most important is someone who makes my stomach flip every time they walk into a room. I want someone who I can’t live without and they can’t live without me.”

Both Stacey and Tim just stare at Armie, mouths wide open. “Now that’s a list!” Stacey says with a giant smile, while punching Tim in the arm. Armie smiles at them and walks away. Secretly Tim is really impressed about how honest he is and aware of what he wants. He wants all those things too.

The food was as outstanding as Stacey said it would be. Tim makes a mental note to bring his sister as she loves Italian food as much as he does. He looks around to find Armie to thank him for the best Italian he has had in a long time; the place was still heaving with people. He spots him at the back, catches his eye and smiles then mouths a thank you. Armie put his hand to his chest, slightly bows and returns his focus to the table he is serving.

Back at work, Tim isn’t able to fully concentrate on preparing for his big client meeting, he keeps running through the list of things that Armie said he wanted in a Mr Right. Stacey was right that he should have a list of what he wants, he gets out the small notebook he kept in his suit jacket pocket and turns to a new page. At the top he writes ‘Project Mr Right’ and holds his pen poised over the paper waiting for inspiration. Five minutes must pass and the page is still blank as he is far too critical of whatever pops into his head. He decides to put the notebook back in his pocket and promises himself that he will put some thought in it over the weekend and have a complete list by Monday.

On his way from the office, he remembers the big Sunday lunch he is required to attend. Digging out his cell he finds his sisters number and presses the call button. If his mum had heard the news about Will’s engagement, which was almost 100% certain, he would need Pauline to deflect attention.

“Hey, baby brother! What do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

“Can a loving brother not want to speak to his favourite sibling just because he loves her?”

“Stop with all the crap Timothee! After that sucking up all I can say is whatever it is you want your **only** sibling better get something good for helping you out.”

“All I need is your amazing skill of changing the topic of conversation at lunch on Sunday. Have you heard about Will?”

“Not heard a thing. Is he ok?”

“He proposed to Jane and she said yes. Another one bites the dust.”

“I'm so pleased for him, she’s lovely. Give him my love when you speak to him next. Ohhh……….. I see where you are going the topic change!”

“Yep. I think this officially makes me the last one left. Even though technically Will and Jane have been together for some time, the engagement makes it official. Even you let me down.”

“I wouldn’t call marrying Josh letting you down Timmy! At least I didn’t make you suffer a wedding and eloped. You know mum will never forgive me for that.”

“She never got the big family wedding so now she is going to expect it from me. This lunch is going to be a nightmare.”

“Don’t worry little brother between us we can get her distracted. I will speak to Josh and we will have a list of conversation topics that mum won’t be able to resist.”

“Thanks, sis.” Tim sounded so sad.

“Tim is there more to this? You sound really down.”

“Don’t get me wrong I am really pleased for Will. He is such a good man and deserves all the happiness in the world. It's just made me think about being alone …… I don’t know……what’s wrong with me Pauline? I know I am not much of a catch…”

Pauline interrupts him “Do not carry on with that sentence! Tim, you are an incredible person. Your intelligent, funny, caring and anyone would be lucky to have you. Just because someone has a partner it doesn’t make them a better person. There is someone out there for you and he will be damn lucky to get you. Stop being negative about yourself as you know I’m the only one who is allowed to do that!”

“Ok, ok, you win. I promise no more negativity and no more sulking. I have come up with the start of a plan to find someone.”

“Timothee Chalamet don’t tell me you are planning on downloading Grindr!”

Tim laughed at his sister raised voice. “No, I am not planning on picking up random men off an app. I’ve started Project Mr Right. “He said sounding pleased with himself.

“You are such a dork! Explain this project to me. It sounds ridiculous.”

“I don’t think people should rely on randomly bumping into their soulmate, It's far too inefficient. I’m going to identify important characteristics and I am going to approach this methodically, this will allow me to create a profile for Mr Right. After this I ………”

Tim is interrupted by loud laughter from the other end of the phone. “Seriously Tim you are hilarious. Finding Mr Right isn’t like a science project! I know you love planning and making lists but you can’t find true love like that. It’s the spark in someone's eyes, the smile that makes you melt the touch that drives you wild. Can’t find those with a list!”

“Let's agree to disagree.” He snaps back.

“Ok little brother. How you find him doesn’t matter. I’m here to help in any way I can. Don’t worry about tomorrow, we can manage mum.” She says to appease him. “You owe me one!”

“See you Sunday. Je t’aime.”

“Je t’aime aussi.”

Tim usually spent a Saturday doing chores and catching up on any work he had to do. It started to become a habit that he would pop into work for a couple of hours to try and get ahead for the following week, the partners loved when you showed your commitment to getting the job done. He decided that this weekend was going to be different as he needed to focus on project Mr Right so no going to the office today. The sooner he got the plan sorted the sooner he can find him.

He pulled out his laptop, got the notebook from his jacket and sat at the dining table. Looking at the page in his notebook he was hoping for some inspiration to fill in what he was looking for. He wished he knew how to express he wanted like the man at the bar, he was worried that if he couldn’t say what he wanted he would never find him. Not only is it what is he looking for in a partner but he also has no idea where to look. The internet will help on that one so he pulls up google. The first search is ‘gay dating’ - thousands of results – ok this will need more thought. He refined the search to ‘gay dating in New York’ – not much better. Next search was ‘places to go to meet nice men’ – some really interesting pictures popped up so he quickly closed that tab. This was not really going in the direction he had hoped, only five minutes in and he was already starting to doubt the success of this. Perhaps he should sign up for internet dating? He had never considered before, it wasn’t something he thought was right for him. Lots of people had found their perfect person that way, questioning whether he was being too snobby he opened up a new tab. Another search returned some reputable sites and he picked one and registered. They wanted to know a lot of personal information which worried him as he was quite a private person. Some of the questions were weird – what was his favourite ice cream flavour? – If he was an animal which one would he be and why? Not really sure how knowing this would make his potential Mr Right contact him.

In the search area, he can narrow down what he is looking for. First up is physical characteristics. This should be an easy bit he thought, shouldn’t it? In height he picked 6ft or smaller, he didn’t want someone who towered over him. Again the tall man from the bar popped in his head, he was usually the tall one so it felt quite nice to feel small against him. He changed it to 6ft or taller. Age….mmm, would have to be someone the same age as him, he was looking for something serious and he felt that if they were younger they might not that? Definitely not too much older, there would be too much baggage with them. Eye colour….. that was an easy one, anything but blue. He didn’t want to look into Mr Right’s eyes and see his ex. Pressing enter he brought up the search results, all 3,000 of them. That was far too many so he filtered them by location. He was now down to 373, this was much better, he’d find someone by dinner time. Scrolling through the narrowed down list he started to lose confidence. Technically they were what he asked for but they just weren’t right. Trying not to be negative he opened one up one of them to see if more detailed information would help him to see if he's Mr Right.

Steve was a 23-year-old creative director from a successful advertising agency. He enjoyed running, wine tasting and listening to live music. The photo was not a full face shot and a bit too artistic for him, but he thought that it fit with the creative type. He hoped reading the responses to the weird questions might give him a bit more insight into this potential. His favourite flavour of ice cream was vanilla, mmm.. did that mean he wasn’t very adventurous? Tim could be adventurous if he wanted but only if it was fully planned and organised. Perfect date – Steve was a fan of live music so he would like to take his date out to see one of his favourite bands. After they would go for a meal and enjoy some great conversation. This sounded promising, not quite Tim’s perfect date but it would be ok. Before he lost his nerve he pressed the match button at the top of the profile, if both people clicked it then a notification was sent to both people. As he had only just registered he knew there wouldn’t be a match yet but he secretly was a little disappointed. He had started with some positivity but it now felt like he had achieved nothing.

A demotivated Tim decided to give up for the day, he would get his chores done so he would have a sense of accomplishment. As he walked into the kitchen he heard his phone ping, thinking it was a work email he walked over to the phone opening up his emails.

One unread email – You have a match!


End file.
